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NEW York state lawmakers on June 7 passed legislation to bar social media platforms from exposing “addictive” algorithmic content to users under age 18 without parental consent, according to a Reuters report.
A companion bill to restrict online sites from collecting and selling the personal data of underage users also gained final legislative approval in the New York Assembly, a day after both measures cleared the state Senate.
‘Historic step’
Expressing happiness over the development, Governor Kathy Hochul hailed the two measures as a ‘historic step forward in our efforts to address the youth mental health crisis and create a safer digital environment for young people.’
Social media companies, such as Meta Platforms whose platforms include Facebook and Instagram, could take a hit to their revenues. Supporters of the legislation pointed to a recent Harvard University study that found the six largest social media platforms generated $11 billion from advertising to minors in 2022.
The bills’ sponsors also cite studies linking higher rates of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and other mental health woes to what they define as excessive social media use by adolescents.
Legislation condemned
The industry association NetChoice condemned the legislation, calling it in a statement an “assault on free speech and the open internet” by “forcing websites to censor all content unless visitors provide an ID to verify their age.”
The organization said it had successfully challenged similar measures from three other states in court as unconstitutional. A spokesperson for the Governor said the law would not censor a site’s content and said it provides for using one or more age-verification methods that retains a user’s anonymity. Meta, whose chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg co-founded Facebook, offered some support for the bill.
